Redempsean

Oh boy, this early struggle sounds so familiar. I am not looking forward to going thru all this again but it's non-negotiable apparently lol
Hang in there Wes, Ive appreciated your posts. You will get through this and be a better person for it. Stay strong 💪🏻

Wes B

Thanks Sean, it's been uncomfortable at times but then every day was uncomfortable when I was hungover watching the clock until 5pm so I could start my after work ritual of getting wasted lol... actually when I think about it now with a slightly clearer mind.. if I wasn't an alcoholic and someone give me the choice of, "you can either feel like sh%t for 12 hours a day, everyday for a couple of decades or for 24 hours a day for a couple of weeks" I'm pretty sure I'd choose the latter lol.. it seems so logical now but I could never say no to the quick fix.

Just had to accept that it was going to be rough and try to ride it out.

You've done well in the past mate and I'm very confident you can do it again. 👍

Let's get a streak going!

Free2bme888

Wes, what a nice thread and honest one with a huge side of inspiration for many.

Big hugs, and more congrats 🎉🎈

biminiblue

Keep saying NO.

So happy for you.

It means a lot to all of us when someone saves their own life. It is a triumph of the Human Spirit.

fishkiller

I agree with bim 👍

Wes B

Aww thanks guys 😊

Well I'm feeling a bit better each day. Physically and mentally. Used to wake up from a blackout in the mornings to so many negative thoughts, worries and extreme anxiety. After only a few drinks in the evening those started to go away, reinforcing the idea the alcohol helped cope with those feelings. The reality is that alcohol was causing them.

The stupid things I would dwell on and let ruin my day, the thoughts that a major disaster was just around the corner, the obsessive thinking.. these are becoming a bit less. It's unbelievable how alcohol warps your mind to see the world as such a scary place, guess it happens so slowly over a long period of time that you don't really notice it happening. Shifting my focus from all that nonsense to just trying not to drink, it's like I don't have as much time to think about that other stuff.

I cant wait to introduce some new things into life. Maybe find a hobby that I enjoy, learn how to play an instrument or something else.. I don't know, just something lol.. but one thing at a time, for now I'm just happy enough trying not to drink today 🙃

Britbird80

So glad your feeling better Wes, your doing great and things will continue to just get better and better. There will still be days that aren't so great but we are much better equipped to deal with them sober. Your so right about how it warps the mind, all the stress and anxiety is mainly caused and exacerbated by alcohol.
Keep up the good work and you'll definitely start to want to do more and have the energy and drive to do them.

Free2bme888

The possibilities are endless, Wes

Wes B

Day 12 - Seems like an eternity has passed since that last drink, can't believe how long the last 11 days have felt.. which isn't necessarily a bad thing.. days, weeks, months were slipping away so quickly before, so the change of pace has been quite refreshing.

That being said, I would love to see the days of sobriety being a bit higher than 11 days 😔.. last night was tough with some major cravings. I think I've come to associate feelings of hunger with craving for alcohol as I don't eat much when before drinking and don't feel hungry when I'm drunk (if that even makes sense lol).. but even though I didn't feel like it, things were a little bit easier after I had something to eat.

Anyway, heres to another day.. hope everyone is well 🙏

zenithboy88

Hi Wes,
. Yes, it's very important to not skip meals.
Lots of times I'll have some cravings,
But I will make myself a sandwich and a glass of ginger ale on ice and the craving soon subsides.
It has to do with blood sugar going low,
Then you start craving the sugars in alcohol.
Think of the HALT acronym.
Hungry Angry Lonely Tired?
Beware of those triggers.

biminiblue

Yeah, absolutely this ^^ They all lead to thoughts of a drink.

You're doing great WesB. It's pretty amazing just how many hours are in a day when six hours of it isn't spent navel gazing with a glass in hand.

Wes B

Thanks Zenith 😀.. that's actually great advice, I'm always skipping meals. Time to break out the slow cooker and get a few easy meals prepped. I actually love cooking but just haven't been motivated to make nice/healthy meals recently.

Wes B

Totally Bim.. I could get used to this 😀

Hodd

“That being said, I would love to see the days of sobriety being a bit higher than 11 days 😔.. last night was tough with some major cravings. ”

Ouch. We feel that pain, Wes. You need a major distraction to help you through the first weeks. I promise you’ll notice a marked difference sooner than you think.

Wes B

Cheers Hodd, I'm feeling like I could nearly start some light exercise so as far as a distraction I think on Tuesday evening I'm going to start swimming, see how that goes then maybe get to the gym the following week. Found some old holiday photos of when I was in decent shape and that give me a bit of a mental boost to get active again 😆

Stage 2, quit smoking - wish I had tried to quit both at the same time. May the sleepless nights continue lol

Hodd

Hi Wes, the double whammy (positive) of exercise and no alcohol is staggering. People say clothes fall off, and in my case my jeans literally fell off whilst I was walking. If you think about it, an adult male only need to consume 2000 calories a day. A beer is 200 calories, so a four pack is already nearly half a days calories. A bottle of wine is about the same. Going to the gym doesn’t burn the huge amount of calories people thinking, but we’re taking 200 to 400 calories burned in an hour. So imagine the loss of alcohol calories (empty, nutritionless) and the effect of exercise, it makes for seriously good progress.

It’s also a perpetuating thing as going to the gym for an hour is hard work. Is it really worth negating all that effort with a couple of drinks?

Wes B

Well I didn't get to go swimming tonight as work is so busy at the minute (which has proved to be a welcome distraction).

But.... today is 2 weeks sober! 😀 Whoop!

Dee74

Congratulations Wes

D

Hodd

Well done on 2 weeks, Wes.

Make time for the swimming or gym. Working long hours never does anyone any good, even more so if it’s not your own company. The mental health benefits of exercise aren’t talked about enough.

biminiblue

Two weeks is fantastic!